They are more than incredibly close. They share a tight bond.
I know Caleb will ask her what she thinks of me after our time together. Her opinionmattersto him. And if Catherine doesn’t like me?
What she thinks might just matter to Caleb, too.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Before running around London looking for things to make my new apartment actually feel like a home, I find myself at a table the prettiest coffee shop I’ve ever been to. It’s in Hampstead, tucked on the bottom level of an old building on a street corner. Sunlight streams in through the window, dancing across the tabletop and the pale wood flooring. The morning rush is over, and there are a few people sitting at tables or in comfy, oversized tan leather chairs. Modern lighting hangs overhead, and a mix of eclectic music is piped in through the sound system. Beautiful pastries beckon under a sleek, modern display case, and the scent of coffee hangs in the air.
I nervously run my index finger around the edge of my large ceramic cup. My latte has a beautiful leaf design on it, and the rich scent of hazelnut, mocha, and coffee wafts up from the cup.
But I’m too anxious to drink it.
I shift my gaze to the coffee counter, where Catherine is waiting for her Earl Grey latte. I wasn’t worried about Catherine before—she was the one who encouraged me to give Caleb a chance, after all—but now, after the last text I received from her?
I wonder if she is having second thoughts about her brother dating me.
If she is, it makes me nervous. I mean, I know what I shared with Caleb last night. I trust what we have and where I think we will go.
But if Catherine—his closest confidant—has second thoughts? Doubts? Concerns?
It could change Caleb’s thoughts about pursuing a relationship.
I feel my chest grow tight at the thought. Catherine takes her latte from the barista and makes her way toward our table next to the window. She sets her cup down on the light wood tabletop and then pulls out the chair, taking a seat. She smiles at me, and then a quizzical expression passes over her face. The eyes that look identical to Caleb’s stare back at me as if she is puzzled.
“Why do you look like a horrible interrogation is about to begin?” she asks.
I decide to be honest with her. If she’s anything like Caleb, she would see through any bullshit answer as soon as it came out of my mouth anyway.
“Isn’t it?” I ask, picking up my coffee and taking a sip.
Her black brows draw together in a V. “No.”
I’m pretty sure my surprised expression matches hers. “I know how close you are to him, and I’m sure you want to make sure I’m good enough for him. Or dating him for the right reasons. If you think I’m trying to ‘crack the code,’ so to speak, then I feel this is more than just getting to know me, but testing me to make sure I’m really here for him.”
Her eyes grow large in what looks like dismay. “Oh, Isla! I just meant I want to get to know you better. Truly, that’s it. I was trying to be witty. Because C—”
“Maxwell,” I interrupt. “I call him Maxwell.”
Now she looks baffled. “Maxwell?”
“To protect his privacy in public. So go on.”
A huge smile lights up her face, and I find the tightness in my chest unwinding.
“If I were worried, and if I were going to conduct an inquisition, I’d end it after hearing that response,” she says, pausing to take a sip of her latte.
“Really?”
“I know, you’re a reporter, you’d dig deeper, I’m sure,” Catherine says. “But the fact that you aren’t pushing Maxwell to go forward with a hard launch—or even a soft launch or any kind of launch—says a lot. A lot of women would. Make it known that Maxwell was their man. Not only do you not want that, but you’re also working hard to protect his privacy, and that tells me a lot, too.
“As for cracking the code,” she continues, “I just meant you’re the only woman who has actually gotten close enough—and cared enough—to do that.”
I find myself smiling back at her. I act like I’m wiping sweat off my forehead. “Whew. I’m so relieved. I was so nervous.”
“I madeyounervous?” Catherine asks, her mouth popping open in surprise. “But you’re like a complete badass!”
I chuckle at that. “I don’t know about that, but I’ve been known to stand up for myself and voice my opinion.”